Wood, who had entered a state of life flashing before his eyes, was in a completely vacant mental state. At the same time, a CP0 officer's Shigan (Finger Gun) was rapidly thrusting toward Wood's shoulder.
This attack pierced through the tranquil surface of Wood's mind, shattering the illusion of Ain's smiling face that had appeared before him.
"Wood, you idiot, if you don't wake up now, you're really going to get killed. Seriously, I've always believed that Wood is the strongest and can defeat all the bad guys. You promised me you'd always protect Ain, right?"
The illusion that had broken through to Wood's consciousness quickly brought him back to reality, his previously empty eyes regaining their focus.
The CP0 officer's Shigan that was aiming for Wood's shoulder seemed to slow down as if time itself had been dramatically stretched out.
No, to be precise, it wasn't that the CP0 officer's movements slowed down, but everything around Wood appeared to be frozen, as if time itself had been drastically slowed.
Within this slowed-down space, Wood's thoughts and senses remained sharp, giving him a sensation akin to having enhanced vision.
Shigan is one of the Rokushiki techniques that demands the highest speed, requiring the wrist to move at an incredible pace to generate bullet-like piercing force.
But now, the CP0 officer's face filled with shock as he saw that his wrist had been caught by Wood even before the Shigan could land!
Many people could block Shigan, but to capture the attacking wrist before it hits the target was something unheard of.
As mentioned before, Shigan requires the entire arm to move at explosive speeds, which gives it terrifying acceleration and penetration power.
If something moves fast enough, even a drop of water can pierce through steel—this is the principle behind Shigan.
Predicting the trajectory of Shigan and blocking it is one thing, but catching it mid-attack by the wrist is something almost unimaginable.
Yet now, Wood not only tracked the trajectory of the Shigan, but also caught the CP0 officer's wrist before the strike could land!
"You know, shattering someone's beautiful dream is quite rude. I haven't seen my sister in years. Give me back my adorable angel, you bastard!"
The CP0 officer, who had been in a state of shock after having his wrist caught, was suddenly hurled dozens of meters away by Wood in a powerful over-the-shoulder throw.
The other CP0 officer, witnessing Wood's sudden resurgence, immediately abandoned the idea of capturing him alive and unleashed a series of Rankyaku (Tempest Kick) attacks.
The CP0 officer believed that the close-range and densely packed Rankyaku attacks would be impossible for even a powerful swordsman like Wood to avoid.
Wood had held out this long because they wanted to capture him alive to appease the Celestial Dragons. But now, seeing Wood's sudden change, the cautious CP0 officer decided to go all out.
What the CP0 officer didn't expect, however, was that Wood, who had been on the brink of collapse, was now moving through the barrage of Rankyaku attacks with the grace of a butterfly, making minimal movements to dodge every strike.
As the CP0 officer faltered for a split second at this sight, Wood had already weaved through the Rankyaku waves and appeared right in front of him.
Seeing the blade approaching, the intense sense of danger jolted the CP0 officer back to reality, prompting him to use Busoshoku Haki to defend with his arms.
The crescent-shaped blue slash collided with the metallic-looking black arms, causing sparks to fly and sending the CP0 officer hurtling a hundred meters away!
Wood wanted to pursue him, but the movement aggravated his wounds, causing him to wince in pain.
At that moment, a powerful wave of fatigue hit Wood.
If he stayed any longer, even if he managed to defeat these two CP0 officers, he would be overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies, and there was no guarantee that more CP0 officers wouldn't show up.
So, after a brief moment of hesitation, Wood, seeing the two CP0 officers he had just struck down and the group of stunned CP agents around him, immediately chose a direction and sprinted away.
Wood understood his own body's state. His physical condition hadn't improved; his stamina and injuries were just as dire as before, on the verge of exhaustion.
The reason for his sudden surge of power and the ability to counter the two CP0 officers was that, in those final moments, his Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) had evolved!
Wood had first awakened his Kenbunshoku Haki under the attack of the wild boars in the mountains.
After facing the onslaught of CP agents and then battling two CP0 officers at once, being on the brink of death, combined with his desperate will to survive and grow stronger, his Kenbunshoku Haki underwent a transformation!
Battle can lead to growth. The line between life and death is terrifying but also holds great opportunity.
Using his Kenbunshoku Haki at full capacity to fend off the CP agents had caused Wood to sustain many injuries, but it also accelerated the development of his Kenbunshoku Haki.
When he saw the faces of Ain and Gion in his mind during the life-flashing moment, his desire to survive and grow stronger broke through the final barrier, allowing his Kenbunshoku Haki to see even more clearly!
Ordinary Kenbunshoku Haki allows the user to predict and sense danger. As Wood had mentioned before, it typically falls into four categories.
However, after Wood's evolution, his Kenbunshoku Haki seemed to differ from the known types in the One Piece world.
If he had to describe it, Wood's Kenbunshoku Haki appeared to grant him the ability to temporarily enhance his dynamic vision, slowing down extremely fast movements to a fraction of their speed.
It also allowed Wood to quickly perceive the weaknesses in his opponent's moves, akin to a battle instinct or a form of weakness perception.